CCR Update

Canadian Heritage launches Canadian content reviewCanadian Heritage minister Sheila Copps has launched a review of the definition of Canadian content as it applies to film and television production. The department released a paper, entitled "Canadian Content in the 21st Century", on April 2 to provide a framework for the review. Former Telefilm Canada executive director François Macerola has been charged with compiling the views expressed on the issue and presenting a report to the government. More details. Movieola moves out of Stornoway headquarters, searches for new partnerMovieola, the Category 2 digital specialty TV channel, has decided not to cement its agreement with Stornoway Communications LP. Cal Millar, VP and CFO of Channel Zero Inc., which operates the short film channel, says that while Movieola continues to use Stornoway’s broadcast centre to send out its signal, it moved into its own small studio and office space last week. Continued use of Stornoway’s broadcast centre to uplink the signal to distributors is under negotiation, Millar says, adding that Movieola has back-up contingency plans. Millar says he and his partners backed out of the deal because Stornoway failed to honour the terms of the agreement, which included hiring the four founders of Channel Zero. Two of the four were laid off in February when Stornoway cut 28 of 55 employees (CCR, Feb. 15/02). A third partner was let go last week, according to Millar. The four founders – Millar, Romen Podzyhun, Anthony D’Andrea, and Harold Balde – had been hired by Stornoway in September 2001 after the deal was reached (CCR, Oct. 11/01). Millar tells CCR Update that Movieola was also supposed to have access to in-house expertise, which is no longer available since the layoffs. Stornoway counters that it "successfully launched and nurtured" Movieola over the last seven months, and provided secured loan financing to facilitate the channel’s launch. However, Stornoway notes that the launch of the diginets during an economic downturn forced the company to modify its plans and operations "to manage expenses and operations with a longer-term view". "Stornoway regrets that (the) agreement with the Movieola partners could not be maintained on the basis of its operating plan, a pre-condition to its continued financing, and therefore has ceased its loan financing of Movieola. We wish them continued success…," Stornoway states in a media release issued April 2. Millar says the revenue stream for Movieola has slightly exceeded the conservative estimates it forecast in its business plan. He adds that Channel Zero still anticipates launching a second Category 2 diginet, called RetroTV, in the fall. Channel Zero is searching for another "established broadcast player" as a partner, says Millar, and is open to an arrangement with a distributor, broadcaster, or product provider. "The agreement (with Stornoway) was pending approval of the CRTC. We won’t be needing that now," Millar notes. Shaw, Star Choice drop CourtTV U.S.Shaw Communications Inc. is no longer distributing the specialty channel CourtTV U.S. to its cable and satellite TV subscribers. Shaw pulled the plug on the channel after Court TV U.S. began blacking out evening and weekend television programming for which it did not hold programming rights in Canada – a move that affected nearly 400,000 subscribers. CourtTV U.S. says it decided on that course of action when it heard from other distributors that Shaw was not blacking out the programming as required by law. Shaw responded to the action by terminating carriage altogether. "Shaw and Star Choice have long known of the copyright restrictions affecting CourtTV U.S. programming in Canada," states a news release issued by CourtTV U.S. "There has never been, nor is there now, any issue with telecasting daytime trial and news coverage in Canada." CHUM Ltd. and CourtTV U.S. have partnered to launch a Canadian version of the channel for digital distribution, but Shaw has opted not to carry it on digital cable or satellite. More details. Torstar eyeing expansion into London, Niagara regionsThe incoming CEO of Torstar Corp., Robert Prichard, says the newspaper publisher plans to expand into London, Niagara and other regions around Toronto, and into other media. According to a Canadian Press report, Prichard who takes over the company on May 1, says Torstar will "keep hunting for growth opportunities through this concentration in Canada’s leading media market." More details. Standards Council finds Calgary radio station breached ethics codeA Calgary rock radio station breached an industry code of ethics by putting drivers at risk in promoting a contest in which a man danced naked near a bridge during morning rush hour traffic, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council ruled March 26. More details. Montreal baseball radio licence gets administrative extension The CRTC has extended from April 1 to the end of the 2002 baseball season Radiomédia inc.’s broadcasting licence for the French-language radio network broadcasting Montreal Expos games. The administrative renewal extends the current terms and conditions in effect until a full review of the licence is conducted – Broadcasting Decision 2002-72. Category 2 Tourist Channel acquired solely by one partnerThe CRTC has approved the transfer of the Category 2 licence for The Tourist Channel from a three-way partnership to exclusive ownership by Donald Edward McQuaid. The channel proposes providing tourist information to visitors to Whistler, British Columbia – Broadcasting Decision 2002-77. Aliant introduces video downloads in New BrunswickAliant Telecom is deploying news clips, movie previews, and music videos over its DSL high-speed Internet service. The free service is being tested in New Brunswick, with eventual rollout to the other Atlantic provinces. More details. Cogeco gets CRTC approval to acquire Saint-Jérôme-de-Matane cable systemThe CRTC has given Cogeco Cable Canada Inc. the go-ahead to acquire the assets of Télécâble Grand-Détour inc.’s cable assets in Saint-Jérôme-de-Matane – Broadcasting Decision 2002-79. CBC, NFB receive Peabody AwardsThe Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and the National Film Board were among winners of 61st annual Peabody Awards announced March 27. The CBC was recognized for the production "A Murder in the Neighborhood," a radio documentary that records human responses to a murder in a Toronto suburb. The NFB was recognized for "My Father’s Camera," which blends old family pictures with new in this tribute to Super 8mm cameras. The awards, administered by the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia, recognize distinguished achievement and meritorious service by radio and television networks, producing organizations, cable television, and individuals. More details. Men With Brooms hits $3.5 million at box officeCanadian film "Men With Brooms", produced by Robert Lantos’ Serendipty Point Films and distributed by Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Distribution, has grossed $3.52 million at the Canadian box office in its first 24 days. That makes it the highest grossing English-Canadian film in two decades. More details. CHUM launches spoof online correspondence schoolCHUM Ltd. has added an Internet component to its Space: The Imagination Station by introducing a Spacecast Correspondence College (SCCC), where viewers can study such topics as vampirology, space and time exploration, and interspecies diplomacy. The "courses" are primarily quizzes related to shows on the Space specialty channel. "Born out of a desire to help others succeed in a highly competitive marketplace, SCCC strives to offer you the very best education without all the hassles of attending class that are commonly associated with higher learning," says the tongue-in-cheek introduction to the school, which is signed by Grimly P. Fiendish. More details. CCTA convention to begin April 14 in VancouverThe annual convention of the Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) runs April 14-16 at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre. The theme is "Thinking Beyond the Box". CRTC chair Charles Dalfen will give the keynote address on April 16, and sessions cover such topics as video-on-demand and how the diginets are fairing in year one. More details. Lecture on the crisis in Canadian television and cultural policy Carleton University presents the 3rd annual Kesterton lecture on April 4 at 7 p.m. in the Panorama Room of the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The topic is "Crisis in Canadian Television and Cultural Policy: The Rise and Demise of Independent Production", featuring Laszlo Barna, co-founder of Barna-Alper Productions and executive producer of "Da Vinci’s Inquest". Admission is free, but seating is limited. More details. INTERNATIONAL NEWS Charter announces five markets to receive HDTVU.S. cable operator Charter Communications Inc. has announced that it will bring high-definition television to five markets in the United States – Alhambra/Pasadena, Glendale/Burbank CA; University Park TX; South Miami FL; and Birmingham, AL. More details. FCC establishes media security and reliability councilThe Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has created a new federal advisory committee called the Media Security and Reliability Council. The committee will be charged with studying, developing and reporting best practices for assuring optimal reliability and security of the broadcast and multichannel video programming distribution industries. More details. TV, radio jobs on decline in U.S.Employment at television stations in the United States dropped 2.2 per cent between December 2001 and January 2002, according to statistics released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor. In that period, 1,700 jobs were lost, bringing the number employed in the television industry to 135,700. Employment at radio stations fell 1.4 per cent to 115,600. Employment in the cable industry declined by 700 employees, or 1.3 per cent, to 244,500. In February 2002, the largest number of mass layoffs (46,575), as measured by initial unemployment claims, occurred in the West – largely in motion picture and video production and temporary help services. The largest over-the-year increase in initial claims was reported in telecommunications (+1,952). More details: Bureau of Labor Statistics release TV and radio jobs still fading DirecTV aims to offer telephony in 2003U.S. satellite TV distributor DirecTV Inc. plans to offer telephone service through "voice over IP" by early 2003, according to a CNET News.com report. The technology uses the Internet instead of telephone fibre to send and receive telephone calls. More details. Discovery name dropped, relaunched as The Science ChannelDiscovery has relaunched its digital specialty science channel with a new look and a new name. Previously known as Discovery Science Channel, the diginet is now simply known as The Science Channel. Discovery Networks U.S. content group president John Ford told Multichannel News that the change is aimed at driving advertiser interest beyond Discovery’s digital and analog sales packages. More details.

CCR Update

Broadcast | April 3, 2002

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